Companionship
by 29black
Summary: AU Oneshot Slight HughesxRoy. Two survivors of a battlefield massacre are left to wander in a forest alone, attempting to make their way back to civilisation. Reviews appreciated


Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: Just a little one shot I wrote for my QCS writing task trial. I got a 2+ beams

Companionship

The patter of rain on leaves slowly petered out. Nothing rustled in the undergrowth and no canopy dwelling bird warbled. In this time, in this place, everything seemed muted and lethargic. Even the hard crunch of army boots on fallen foliage was smothered in the total stillness; the crunching of the leaves dulled by the wetness. Slow, deliberate steps were contrasted with a dragging limp that ploughed a path in the decomposing leaves. The owners of the feet leant against each other, sharing their sweat and blood as they journeyed.

The man with the limp was Roy Mustang. Young and ambitious, he had joined the army with dreams of power and glory. Now, after witnessing a massacre, he was a broken man and all his visions of grandeur that had been so vivid were inconceivable. Supporting him was Maes Hughes. Older and wiser, Maes had joined the army for a different reason. As a family man, Maes had joined the cause to prevent the conflict of combat reaching his beautiful wife and daughter.

Each day the two of them would walk until Roy couldn't walk anymore. Then they'd stop walking for a break, maybe a meal, before walking again. Roy knew he couldn't stipulate how far or how long they walked in a day. It was slow and painful and worst of all it appeared to be fruitless. He'd lost count of the number of days they'd been walking. To him, every step seemed like a lifetime. He doubted that he would leave the forest alive.

Despite Mustang's pessimism, Maes kept a bright outlook. Out of this time and place – in the real world – Maes Hughes had something of value, of meaning; something that mattered. He had his wife Gracia and his daughter Elysia.

'My dear Elysia is such a little angel' pouted Hughes jovially as he sat Roy down on a log for a rest.

'She'll be turning four this summer.'

Roy sighed and couldn't help but smile at Maes's babble as he built a fire. Roy propped himself up and nursed his injured arm, watching the light reflect of Mae's cracked glasses. Because of the nature of his injuries, the younger man was completely dependant on the elder. Maes did not seem to mind that task of taking care of him. Roy however, despised the dependency. It made him feel useless, as useless as he had been on the battlefield on that day.

Normally, Roy was a capable man but that day of battle had been too much. Before that battle, he had heard his share of grizzly war stories, but living one was infinitely more horrific than any words could describe. As the fight became heated, one could not help but suffer a sensory overload. There was the constant sound of gunfire and shells dropping in his ears. The smell of death and the metallic taste of blood. Worst of all, was the sight that met his dark eyes. Roy had felt his gut twist and the sting of tears as he saw that he was surrounded by the fallen bodies of his friends. Havoc had bled out, a smoking cigarette hanging limply from his cold lips; Fuery, a boy so young he could barely shoot a gun. Worst of all was Hawkeye, her face smattered in blood, still looking serene.

His entire consciousness racked with pain, all he had wanted to do was die. As reality slipped from his gip he felt a strong pair of arms pull him up. A warm voice spoke in his ear, strained with effort.

'I'm here Mustang. I'll look after you. You're not dead yet…'

Now, not only had Maes saved his life once, but he was saving it everyday by feeding him, tending his wounds and trying to get them to civilisation. The only way Roy could repay him was with companionship.

Some nights, Hughes' need for companionship would well over. There had been one such night, and only one, where they had both been lost in their own loneliness. There had been a predatory gleam in Maes' blue eyes; he had advanced and Roy responded. Humans need companionship, no matter what form it takes. However, this thought did not cause Roy's guilt to subside the next day. Hughes was a family man. It was wrong.

When he voiced this to Maes the next day, he sombrely replied, 'It matters that out there in reality, in the real world, that I have a wife and daughter. But here, in this time and place, all that really matters to us is each other.'


End file.
